Ziigwan

From the Ojibwe word for early Spring, Ziigwan has a bright, jubilant sound, reflective of its meaning. Used by the Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region and the northern plains, Ziigwan may be recognized as a character from the 2022 Canadian TV comedy series, Shoresy, played by Blair Lamora.

For the Ojibwe people, Ziigwan may be a time to take part in the tradition of webnigewin, a time of letting go, metaphorically, and more literally, as reflected by the melting of ice during the season.

Pronounced ZEE-gwan.